TOURS
Please note: For all "sold out" events, if any tickets become available at a later time as a result of a cancellation, they will be available only during onsite registration on a first-come, first-served basis.San Francisco — A City of Endless Possibilities. Experience some of the best that San Francisco has to offer when you sign up for one of these customized Special Interest Tours.
| TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3 | Ticket Fee |
| SOLD OUT (10:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m., bike and lunch included) Note: Tour difficulty is Easy to Moderate. Pedal your way through some of the area's most interesting and historic areas as you Bike the Bay to Sausalito during this fully guided, historic, 9-mile tour. The tour begins at Fisherman's Wharf and follows the San Francisco waterfront past Aquatic Park, Fort Mason, the high-end Marina and the vintage Presidio neighborhoods, Crissy Field and Fort Point. Riders cross the Golden Gate Bridge on a wide bike path, then coast down through the Vista Point to Old Fort Baker. The tour finalizes in Sausalito where you can relax before taking the ferry back to the San Francisco waterfront. |
$ 150 |
| WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4 | Ticket Fee |
| TICKET #11 • Secret Places of Neighborhoods (9:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) Join San Francisco native and resident Marco Esposito, principal at SWA Group in Sausalito and member of ULI, on a walking tour of a few of San Francisco's most famous neighborhoods. You'll begin in Pacific Heights, home to many of the city's grand residences and ornate Victorian homes and wind your way through the hills, catching occasional glimpses of the dramatic Bay vistas. As you pass by restaurants and hip boutiques nestled between the neighborhood's historic landmarks, be prepared to be shown the unexpected - hidden gems that only a native, with an eye for design, would know. Your tour will end in the Marina at the water's edge, home to families, young urban professionals, and a plethora of gourmet cafes and restaurants, before heading back to Moscone Center. |
$ 95 |
| TICKET #14 • Rebuilding the Bay Bridge-A "Bay's-Eye View" (1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., refreshments included) The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge has long been a crucial transit link in the Bay Area, providing a direct connection for 280,000 vehicles per day. When the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake brought down a 250-ton section of the east span's upper deck, the Bay Area was left to grapple with how to rebuild and retrofit one of the region's most important lifelines. The result was a $5.48 billion plan to upgrade the bridge, including seismic upgrades to the west span and the complete replacement of the east span. The new east span of the Bay Bridge, now under construction, is one of the largest infrastructure projects in the history of the State of California. Enjoy a behind-the-scenes, private boat tour of and discussion about this fascinating site, which is set to be featured on an upcoming edition of the Discovery Channel's "Extreme Engineering." Along the way, enjoy stunning views of the San Francisco skyline as well as an up-close view of Treasure Island, a mega-redevelopment project set to convert an old Navy Base into a 400-acre, mixed-use development. |
$ 175 |
| THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5 | Ticket Fee |
| SOLD OUT (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., lunch included) A trip to San Francisco wouldn't be complete without a visit to Napa — a very special day awaits you. Meadowood's Gilles de Chambure, Master Sommelier, will be our private guide for the day. Mr. de Chambure has designed a customized tour that will take you inside some of the region's exclusive, boutique wineries that are not open to the public. You will also learn about the architectural diversity to be found throughout the region. From the Valley's beautiful 19th-century, gravity-flow wineries to contemporary works by noted international architects, you'll come to know renowned Napa Valley vintners through their architectural visions. |
$ 225 |
| SOLD OUT (9:15 a.m.-1:30 p.m., lunch included) Experience the ultimate behind-the-scenes experience at the new California Academy of Sciences, a world-class scientific and cultural institution. A museum for the 21st century and an icon for green building technology, the Academy is also a leading voice in the global effort to preserve natural habitats, prevent the loss of species, and protect essential natural resources. During this privately escorted tour, you will get an exclusive, up close and personal look at the operations of this world-class facility. You will meet and interact with the museum's researchers and scientists, get a glimpse at some of the private collections, and gain an in-depth understanding of the facility's key exhibits. Highlights include special access to staff-only areas, interaction with Academy researchers, and a private viewing of some of the Academy's secured collections. |
$ 175 |
| FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6 | Ticket Fee |
| SOLD OUT (9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.) John King, Urban Design and Architecture Reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle will lead this exciting walking tour highlighting several of San Francisco's newest and most notable projects. Participants will gather at Soma Grand, a new mid-rise residential development just a few blocks west of Moscone and stroll down Mission Street, making stops at the GSA Federal Building, a new San Francisco landmark in sustainability; Mint Plaza, a historic mixed-use public plaza; the 555 Mission, a LEED-certified office building; and Millennium Tower, a stunning luxury residential skyscraper. King has reported on design and architecture since 2001 after joining the San Francisco Chronicle in 1992 and covering everything from politics at San Francisco City Hall to cultural changes in the suburbs. In addition to The Chronicle he has worked at the Boston Globe, and written for such publications as Architectural Record, Metropolis and Dwell. In 2002, the California Council of the American Institute of Architects presented King a "Special Commendation" for his "delicate blend of vision and pragmatism" in writing about urban design. In 2005, he received the President's Award from the California Preservation Foundation and in 2006 he was given the first Urban Journalism Award from the Urban Communication Foundation of New York. He is also a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Criticism. |
$ 95 |
